Women in development

This non-governmental organization aims at making women an integral part of development – both in practice and theory. It seeks to acknowledge women’s roles in development and how they have been systemically overlooked and excluded within development research and practices. Additionally, WID seeks acknowledgment and rectification of women’s long-held subordinate position within the patriarchy and the view they have been labelled with as mere reproductive agents. This is largely accomplished through their efforts to promote the advancement of women within the economy and occupational field.

It utilizes the egalitarian ideology of equal genders and equal gender rights and opportunities in order to establish women’s place and significance within development and the developmental process. In other words, providing women with an equal chance at advancing within the field of occupation and thus manifest for the first time the truly important role they play in development and developmental processes.

An appropriate example of how women are empowered in South Africa, is the standardized practice for women to be given priority when it comes to the hiring of top-level management as well as leadership positions. In doing so, women are thus given equal opportunity for economic advancement, and thus also the opportunity to not only flourish and prosper within their own right, but to occupy their rightful, equally significant roles within the development of the economy and society at large.